Coalition frontbencher Nick Minchin announced his resignation from Federal politics yesterday. A powerful Liberal Party figure, probably best known for his climate skepticism and for leading a revolt against former leader Malcolm Turnbull last year, his exit is a bit of a double edged sword for Tony Abbott: on the one hand, it provides an opportunity to reshuffle the cabinet and finally clear up that nasty case of Barnaby Joyce that is afflicting the party’s economic credibility. On the other, he has lost an experienced hand and one of the key figures in the party’s emerging far-right faction, to which he owes his ascendancy to the leadership.

Over at Crikey‘s Stump blog, Bernard Keane offered his eulogy:

… a lively, humorous, intelligent politician, never more so than when he declared he couldn’t remember whether he had smoked marijuana with Peter Garrett when they were both at ANU, on the basis that “the room was too cloudy.”

With the dirt in his political grave still fresh, the rest of the pundits have gathered round his tombstone this morning to carve in their own epitaph:

The Australian

Editorial: Abbott loses a valuable player

… take note Wilson Tuckey and other fogies: he is not exceeding his use-by date

Samantha Maiden: Lord of the Dries exits, stage right

[Minchin] makes his modern-day Labor Party equivalent, Mark Arbib, look like a yappy toy poodle.

Dennis Shanahan: Chance to move Joyce out of finance

Minchin’s departure has given Abbott an honourable and useful out for Joyce

Sydney Morning Herald

Phillip Coorey: Minchin’s departure may create an opening for Turnbull’s return

Malcolm Turnbull is open to an invitation to rejoin the frontbench

The Age

Michelle Grattan: Liberal powerbroker does the honourable thing

Abbott will miss him on the frontbench.

ABC

Barrie Cassidy: Warrior Minchin opts for a change in climate

… a huge body blow to the Liberal Party right, all the more so if Tony Abbott performs poorly and the moderates move to regain the ascendancy.